Narrative:

Pilots and flight attendants could not board aircraft expeditiously due to cleaners and catering. Once on board; flight attendants received a call from customer service wanting to board passenger; but flight attendants had not completed safety checks and told them not to board yet. Customer service indicated they would call zone. Purser briefed me on the situation and I agreed they should finish their safety checks before boarding per their faom and far 121.309.310. Then the phone rang again and I answered it this time. Customer service said zone told them to board and I refused due to it being a safety issue. I called zone to discuss the issue and he told me they would pre-stage the passenger in the loading bridge. I told him that would be ok; but a customer service agent would have to be at the bottom of the bridge to prevent the passenger from interfering with the flight attendant's duties and he told he that is not how it works; were now doing this on quick turns. I personally believe this procedure is a process problem. Unless customer service is on the bridge to prevent passenger from boarding; it interferes with a crew member's safety duties and violates their faom and far. As the captain of the flight; safety is also my #1 priority and will support my crew under these circumstances. Unfortunately my company talks the language of safety first; but in reality it is sacrificed at times to attempt to prevent a delay. I find in many cases zone should not control certain issues; because they are not plane side and are indirectly involved in the process versus directly. In many cases; passenger are being boarded in violation and this needs to be addressed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 PLT HAS CONCERNS WITH LOADING PAX PRIOR TO CABIN ATTENDANT SAFETY CHKS BEING ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: PLTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS COULD NOT BOARD ACFT EXPEDITIOUSLY DUE TO CLEANERS AND CATERING. ONCE ON BOARD; FLT ATTENDANTS RECEIVED A CALL FROM CUSTOMER SVC WANTING TO BOARD PAX; BUT FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOT COMPLETED SAFETY CHKS AND TOLD THEM NOT TO BOARD YET. CUSTOMER SVC INDICATED THEY WOULD CALL ZONE. PURSER BRIEFED ME ON THE SITUATION AND I AGREED THEY SHOULD FINISH THEIR SAFETY CHKS BEFORE BOARDING PER THEIR FAOM AND FAR 121.309.310. THEN THE PHONE RANG AGAIN AND I ANSWERED IT THIS TIME. CUSTOMER SVC SAID ZONE TOLD THEM TO BOARD AND I REFUSED DUE TO IT BEING A SAFETY ISSUE. I CALLED ZONE TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE AND HE TOLD ME THEY WOULD PRE-STAGE THE PAX IN THE LOADING BRIDGE. I TOLD HIM THAT WOULD BE OK; BUT A CUSTOMER SVC AGENT WOULD HAVE TO BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BRIDGE TO PREVENT THE PAX FROM INTERFERING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT'S DUTIES AND HE TOLD HE THAT IS NOT HOW IT WORKS; WERE NOW DOING THIS ON QUICK TURNS. I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THIS PROC IS A PROCESS PROB. UNLESS CUSTOMER SVC IS ON THE BRIDGE TO PREVENT PAX FROM BOARDING; IT INTERFERES WITH A CREW MEMBER'S SAFETY DUTIES AND VIOLATES THEIR FAOM AND FAR. AS THE CAPT OF THE FLT; SAFETY IS ALSO MY #1 PRIORITY AND WILL SUPPORT MY CREW UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. UNFORTUNATELY MY COMPANY TALKS THE LANGUAGE OF SAFETY FIRST; BUT IN REALITY IT IS SACRIFICED AT TIMES TO ATTEMPT TO PREVENT A DELAY. I FIND IN MANY CASES ZONE SHOULD NOT CTL CERTAIN ISSUES; BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PLANE SIDE AND ARE INDIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS VERSUS DIRECTLY. IN MANY CASES; PAX ARE BEING BOARDED IN VIOLATION AND THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.